The present disclosure relates generally to excavation and cutting tools such as trenching machines and microtrenching machines. Such tools are employed, for example, to cut a trench through a surface.
Some trenching applications, such as for installing cables, require cutting a narrow trench through a road surface, including asphalt and concrete, and the base material. After the trench has been cut, the cable, conduit for receiving cable, or other product is then installed within the trench. Thereafter, the trench is backfilled to repair the roadway. Example micro trenching methods are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,109 and 5,934,834. Other micro-trenching methods are described in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US 2008/0298755 and US 2010/0086254.
The trenching machines used for cutting such trenches typically include a cutting tool in the form of a cutting or trenching wheel. The cutting wheel includes a wheel/disc shaped carrier to which a plurality of cutting elements—cutting teeth or picks—are mounted. The cutting wheel is rotated such that the cutting teeth engage the surface to be cut to form the desired trench.
Improvements in cutting tools are desired.